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Sales gain for Italian manufacturers

An upswing is being seen in construction machine sales in Italy, according to the latest official figures. The data from the Samoter-Prometeia Observatory reveal increases in key markets. Gains have been seen in Europe (+7.7%), Central and Eastern Europe and Turkey (+3.7%), North America (+23.1%), Central and South America (+6.3%), Middle East (+26.3%), Asia (+28.7%), Australia (+23.5%) and Africa (+2.5%). However the figures also show another sharp fall in Russia (-62.8%).
February 22, 2016 Read time: 3 mins
An upswing is being seen in construction machine sales in Italy, according to the latest official figures. The data from the Samoter-Prometeia Observatory reveal increases in key markets. Gains have been seen in Europe (+7.7%), Central and Eastern Europe and Turkey (+3.7%), North America (+23.1%), Central and South America (+6.3%), Middle East (+26.3%), Asia (+28.7%), Australia (+23.5%) and Africa (+2.5%). However the figures also show another sharp fall in Russia (-62.8%).

Italian exports for the construction machinery sector between January and November 2015 totalled €2.275 billion in turnover, an increase of 7.6% over the same period in 2014. Imports also increased, growing 16.7% to €587.9 million. The balance of trade meanwhile was in the black by €1.687 billion, a gain of 4.7%.

Consolidation of the recovery seems to be confirmed by figures published by the SaMoTer Observatory for the construction equipment market, developed in collaboration with Prometeia and information from Unacea, the National Union of Construction Equipment & Attachments Companies.

The 30th edition of SaMoTer, the Italian exhibition for construction machines is scheduled at Veronafiere 22nd-25th February 2017. This will be run alongside Asphaltica, the road paving and infrastructure show, and Transpotec, the road transport and logistics event.

In more detail, the earthmoving machinery sector saw exports of €905 million (+6.8%). Exports of crawler bulldozers were down from €29.7 million to €8 million, offset by an increase wheeled bulldozers, up from €4.9 million to €17.8 million. Sales of buckets, shovels and grippers climbed from €80.4 to €90.8 million. Sales of public works machinery grew also from €141 million to €158.9 million. There was also an improvement for road building machinery, with orders worth €102 million, a growth of 29.1%. Foreign sales dropped slightly (-0.7%) for concrete machinery to €295.2 million. Tower crane sales improved from €170.1 to €202.3 million, a gain of 18.9% for the period. There was a slight drop of 2.6% for sales aggregates machinery, which over the 11 months totalled €407.9 million. There was a positive result, finally, for drilling equipment with exports coming to €362.8 million, a gain of 19.9%.

Looking at markets, the main outlet for Italian construction machinery is once again Western Europe with €825 million (+7.7%). There was also strong growth in North America (+23.1%), the Middle East (+26.3%), Asia (+28.7%) and Australia (+23.5%). More modest increases were seen in Central-Eastern Europe and Turkey (+3.7%), Central and South America (+6.3%) and Africa (+2.5%). Russia, in the wake of sanctions related to the Ukraine crisis, saw exports continue to collapse, down by 62.8%.

As regards imports, there were increases in segments such as earth moving machinery (+27.5%), road building machinery (+15.5%), tower cranes (+150.8%) and aggregates preparation machinery (+21.6%). Figures were significantly down, on the other hand, for drilling machines (-42.9%) and concrete equipment (-39.3%).
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